A worldwide collaboration working to bring forth a new scientific endeavor: gravitational wave astronomy
about the lsc
The LIGO Scientific Collaboration (LSC) is a group of scientists seeking to detect to make the first direct detection of gravitational waves, use them to explore the fundamental physics of gravity, and develop the emerging field of gravitational wave science as a tool of astronomical discovery. The LSC works toward this goal through research on, and development of techniques for, gravitational wave detection; and the development, commissioning and exploitation of gravitational wave detectors.
who are we?
The LSC carries out the science of the LIGO Observatories, located in Hanford, Washington and Livingston, Louisiana as well as that of the GEO600 detector in Hannover, Germany. Our collaboration is organized around three general areas of research: analysis of LIGO and GEO data searching for gravitational waves from astrophysical sources, detector operations and characterization, and development of future large scale gravitational wave detectors.
Founded in 1997, the LSC is currently made up of almost 700 scientists from over 60 institutions and 11 countries worldwide. A list of the participating universities can be found here.
join the lsc
Institutions interested in joining the LIGO Scientific Collaboration should contact the LSC Spokesperson. Prospective members must arrange an MOU with LIGO Laboratory and the LIGO Scientific Collaboration and present their proposed collaborative program at an LSC meeting. New memberships are approved by a two-thirds majority vote of the LSC Council.
The LIGO Observatory
The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) consists of two widely separated installations within the United States — one in Hanford Washington and the other in Livingston, Louisiana — operated in unison as a single observatory. LIGO is operated by the LIGO Laboratory, a consortim of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Funded by the National Science Foundation, LIGO is an international resource for both physics and astrophysics.
LIGO Astrowatchers
LSC graduate students Matthew West, Evan Goetz, Philip Roberts, and Pinkesh Patel at the LIGO Hanford Observatory.
Image Credit: Evan Goetz